Touring Tips: How To Ensure A Safe Ride?

Here are some tips to keep your ride positively uneventful

Better safe than sorry. While this adage applies to real life, it is more apt for motorcycle touring. All of us want to reach our destinations safely and quickly and here are 12 things you can do to keep your motorcycle journey just that. 

Also read: Touring Tips: How To Prepare Your Motorcycle For Touring?

Plan ahead:

It is always better to know what lies ahead. For example, a bit of research could help you plan routes better and if a particular route is notorious for looting, you could skip it altogether. A look into hotel reviews would help you book the best hotel on your route or maybe a restaurant that suits your dietary requirements better. 

Don’t ride in haste:

We cannot stress this enough. Riding to your destination in a hurry will have you ride out of your comfort zone and the chances of you making mistakes rise exponentially. Also given our road conditions, the chances of animals or pedestrians running across the road are far too high and you might not just be able to stop in time. 

ATGATT:

Dress for the slide, not the ride. Always wear full protective riding gear. That includes a good quality helmet, riding jacket, gloves, riding pants/knee pads and riding boots. Do not compromise on riding gear as they might just save your life. 

Keep digital copies of documents:

Keeping digital copies of your licence and your motorcycles valid documents will not just save you the hassle of retrieving the documents from your bag when asked but also ensure you have them in case your belongings get stolen. You could use apps like DigiLocker to store documents. 

Also read: Touring Tips: 5 Do’s And Don’ts

Check In:

Always update your near and dear ones of your whereabouts whenever you can so than if you get into an accident, they will know the location and be able to get help to you faster. If you can, share a live location of yourself with your relatives via WhatsApp. Also keep an ICE tag on your person that includes your name, blood group and a number to contact in case of emergency. 

Travel in groups:

Safety in numbers is a meaningful adage for touring. It will make you less vulnerable to thefts and mugging and also ensure you have someone to help incase of an accident. If travelling in groups, it is advisable to ride with people you have ridden with before. 

Dont travel at night:

Travelling at night means reduced visibility and the chances that you might miss seeing the buffalo sitting in the middle of the road are quite high. The chances you getting mugged is several times higher at night. 

Be aware of your surroundings:

Always be conscious of your surroundings and be on the lookout for any suspicious activity. Trust your instincts. If you feel that a place you have stopped at is unsafe, get out of there. 

Invest in lockable saddle bags/panniers:

Having secure luggage means you don’t have to worry about stealing your stuff while you have your lunch in peace. Another valuable advice is to park your motorcycle in a way that it is visible from where you dine. 

Do not keep lots of cash on you:

This will help in case you are mugged. Divide your trip into days and keep only a day’s worth of cash on your person. It is a good idea to pay by card whenever you can. 

Control your drink:

While it is advisable to avoid consuming liquor during night halts, if you do need that drink, be strictly moderate about it. Consume lots of water the next day to remain hydrated and also flush out any toxins. Never drink just before or during the ride. 

Be polite to people:

During your trip, you will interact with people, some pleasant and some unpleasant. Always be pleasant and cordial irrespective of the other persons behaviour. Smile a lot. It will help diffuse a tense situation most of the time. Do not let your ego get the better of you. You are in a foreign land and most of the time interacting with a local who has been living there all of his life and for all you know be an influential one at that. Pick your battles.